Amendment Would Change Voting Rules for Pensions

In November, Illinois voters will be asked if it should be more difficult to increase pension benefits for public employees. If approved, the proposed amendment to the Illinois Constitution would raise the number of votes needed to make increases to public employee pensions from a simple majority to a three-fifths vote. It applies to the General Assembly, city councils, school boards, and other public governing bodies.

Representative Bob Pritchard says the proposed amendment is the result of the current underfunding of public pensions:

"This seems to be, as we debated it in the House, a very straightforward issue that we wanted to make it a larger majority of a board supporting a pension increase instead of passing, by say, one or two votes rather than being a strong sense of what that board wanted to do."

- Rep. Bob Pritchard, Sycamore (R)

Pritchard says for retired employees, the measure would not take away from current benefits.